Orthopedic device

ABSTRACT

An orthopedic device to facilitate the putting on and removal of stockings from a handicapped person&#39;&#39;s feet. The device has an elongated U-shaped slide member with rounded walls, the front edges of which are inclined toward the base and which terminate in a rounded portion. A lip extending outwardly and downwardly from the front end of the base is provided for facilitating the removal of the stockings. A pair of handles mounted to either side of the rounded walls are connected by a rounded portion attached to the outer surface of the walls and base of the Ushaped slide member. The rounded portion has a thickness which is sufficient to restrain a stocking from passing thereover during use of the orthopedic device.

United States Patent [191 Scianimanico Dec. 10, 1974 ORTHOPEDIC DEVICE211 Appl. No.: 356,111

[52] US. Cl. 223/111 [51] Int. Cl. A47j 51/06 [58] Field of Search223/111, 118

[56] References Cited I UNITED STATES PATENTS 732,854 7/1903 Hepner223/118 2,828,057 3/1958 MacLauchlan 223/111 3,310,209 3/1967 Clauss223/111 3,715,065 2/1973 Peck 223/111 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS3/1961 Italy 223/113 Primary Examiner-James R. Boler AssistantExaminer-Peter Nerbun Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Basile and Weintraub [57]ABSTRACT An orthopedic device to facilitate the putting on and removalof stockings from a handicapped persons feet. The device has anelongated U-shaped slide member with rounded walls, the front edges ofwhich are inclined toward the base and which terminate in a roundedportion. A lip extending outwardly and downwardly from the front end ofthe base is provided for facilitating the removal of the stockings. Apair of handles mounted to either side of the rounded walls areconnected by a rounded portion attached to the outer surface of thewalls and base of the U-shaped slide member. The rounded portion has athickness which is sufficient to restrain a stocking from passingthereover during use of the orthopedic device.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1 ORTHOPEDIC DEYICE BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION Other objects, advantages and applications of the presentinvention will become apparent to those skilled.

I in the art of orthopedic devices for facilitating the placdevices and,in particular, to orthopedic device for assisting in the putting on ofstockings and the like and for the removal of such stockings from thefoot of a handicapped person.

2. Description of the Prior Art In many instances, handicapped personshave only limited bending capacity ofthe body and legs. Such limitedbending capabilities may be due to crippling arthritis, obesity, heartailments or other physical handicaps, all of which prevent the user frombending sufficiently to place hosiery or stockings on their feet withoutaid. When such a handicapped person must use a tight fittingsurgicalstocking, the task of placingthe stocking on is even moredifficult than putting on an ordinary stocking. Many tools haveheretofore been devised for assisting a handicapped person in putting onstockings, whether they be conventional stockings or the tight fittingsurgical stocking. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 3,692,217, U.S. Pat. No. 3,070,271, U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,209, U.S.Pat. No. 3,401,856, U.S. Pat. No. 2,796,207, US. Pat. No. 2,982,453, US;Pat. No. 2,939,618, U.S. Pat. No. 2,828,057 and U.S. Pat. No. 129,175.Although the various devices disclosed in the aforementioned U.S.Patents have functioned in an acceptable manner, they do not provide theease of use which is required by the handicapped person,nor do any ofthese patents provide a means for removing the stockings once they areon the wearers foot.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention which will be describedsubse- Y quently in greater detail comprises an orthopedic device foraiding a handicapped person in putting on and removing stockings. Thedevice comprises a U-shaped slide member having a rounded wall with apair of parallel handles extending from one end thereof, the handlesbeing attached to the slide member by a rounded connecting piece whichextends outwardly from the exterior surface of the slide member asufficient distance to prevent the stockings from sliding thereover. Theforward end of the U-shaped member is provided with a lip that extendsoutwardly and downwardly from the base of the U-shaped slide member andis utilized to facilitate the removal of stockings from the wearersfoot.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new andimproved orthopedic device for facilitating the putting on and removalof stockings from a disabled person.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an orthopedicdevice having all the advantageous characteristics of the prior artdevices disclosed in the aforementioned United States Patents, but onewhich is extremely simple in its construction and use.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide anorthopedic device to facilitate the putting on and removal of stockingsfrom handicapped persons and one which is durable and reliablethroughout a long and useful life and which can be economically manufactured for sale at a reasonable price.

ing on and removal of hosiery for handicapped persons when theaccompanying description of one example of the best mode contemplatedfor practicing the invention is read in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The description herein makes referenceto the accompanying drawing wherein like reference numerals refer tolike components throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an orthopedic device constructedinaccordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the orthopedic device illustratedin FIG. 1 with a stocking in position thereon to facilitate theplacement of the stockingon the foot of a handicapped person;

FIG. 3 is a rear elevational view of the orthopedic device illustratedin FIG. 1; 3

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the orthopedic de- 'viceillustrated in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the orthopedic device illustratedin FIG. 1 with the same in its initial position for removal of astocking from the foot of a handicapped person.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawingand, in particular, to FIG. 1 wherein there is illustrated an orthopedicdevice 10 constructed in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention and comprising a slide member 12 having a handle 14 extendingrearwardly thereof. A stocking 16 is adapted to be positioned on theslide member'l2 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 2 to facilitate theplacing of the stocking 16 on the foot 18 of a handicapped person.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the orthopedic device 10 is illustrated ascomprising the U-shaped slide member 12 having a base section 18 andupwardly and roundedly shaped side walls 20 and 22. The uppermost edges24 and 25, respectively, of the walls 20 and 22 terminate at asufficient distance from one another to permit the insertion and passageof the foot 18 of the user. The forwardmost edges 26 (FIG. 4) of therounded walls 20 and 22 are inclined from the uppermost edges 24 and 25downwardly toward the front of the base 18 and are rounded off to form ajuncture point at which the base 18 extends outwardly and downwardly toform a lip member 30 for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

The handle 14 comprises a rounded connecting portion 32 that has acontour that closely follows the contour of the outer surface of theslide member 12 and is attached to the rear end thereof as shown inFIGS. 1 and 4. The rounded connecting portion 32 terminates in bent endsthat extend rearwardly from the 'slide member 12 toform a pair ofparallel rods 34 which, in turn, are rounded at their outermost ends 36to provide an easy gripping means for the user. The unitary handle 14 isof sufficient thickness to permit the user to grasp the same and utilizethe device 10 in a manner to be described hereinafter. The roundedconnecting portion 32 of the handle 14 extends upwardly to approximatelythe mid-section of the rounded walls 20 and 22.

The slide member 12 which may be conveniently fabricated from sheetaluminum bent into shape or alternately molded of a strong syntheticplastic member is opened at its top and at both its front and rear endswith its edges and interior surface being smooth to pre-- vent injury tothe user. The handle 14, similarly, is fabricated from a metal, such asaluminum, however, the same may be fabricated from a strong plasticmaterial.

In use, the stocking 16 will first be placed over the front end of theslide member 12, as illustrated in FIGS.

v1 and 2 with the leg of the stocking l6 beingbunched up slightly andover the entire slide member 12 with a portion of the stocking 16 beingin abutment with the forward facing edge of the rounded connectingportion 32 of the handle 14. The front of the foot 18 will then beplaced well within the slide member 12 so that the toe end of thestocking covers the front of the foot 18,

afterwhich the person using the handle 14 will pull upwardly on the sameresulting in an upward sliding of the slide member 12 over the heel andthe back of the leg of the user, carrying the stocking l6 therewithwhich slides off of the slide member 12 as the stocking 16 advances incovering the foot and leg of the user.

FIG. illustrates the manner in which the stocking 16 may be removed fromthe foot 18 of the handicapped person. The slide member 12 is positionedbehind the users leg with the user grasping the handles 14 on eitherside of his leg while the lip 30 of the slide member 12 is inserted intothe backside of the upper edge of the stocking 16. The device is workeddownwardlyto remove the stocking 16 from the users foot 18.

It can thus be seen that the present invention has provided a new andimproved orthopedic device for facilitating the removal and placing onof a stocking on the foot of a handicapped person.

It can also be seen that the orthopedic device of the present inventionis provided with a unique handle which is easily used by the handicappedperson because of its rigid construction and which, in addition tofunctioning to attach the handle to the slide member portion of thedevice, functions to prevent the stocking from riding over the rear edgeof the device.

It can further be seen that the present invention provides an extremelysimple means for facilitating the removal of a stocking from the foot ofa handicapped person. This is accomplished by means of the lip 30carried at the front end of the orthopedic device 10.

Although only one form of the present invention has been disclosed, itshould be understood by those skilled in the art of orthopedic devicesfor facilitating the removal and putting on of stockings that otherforms may be had, all coming within the spirit of the invention andscope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A device for facilitating the putting on and the removal ofstockings, said device comprising an elongated U-shaped slide memberhaving rounded side walls extending upwardly from the base of said slidemember, the front edges of said rounded side walls being inclined withrespect to said base;

a handle comprising a pair of parallel rod members terminating in anintegrally formed rounded connecting portion having a shapecomplimentary to the rear end of said slide member and attached to saidrear end of said slide member on an exterior surface thereof, saidhandle for grasping by a user whereby a stocking engaged over the frontend of said slide member is placed on the users foot by withdrawal ofsaid slide member to pass the foot through the front end of said slidemember said rounded connecting portion being of sufficient thickness toprevent said stocking from passing thereover when said slide member isreinserted into said stocking for the purpose of removing said stockingfrom said foot.

2. The device defined in claim 1, wherein said front edges of saidrounded side walls are rounded off to merge with said base; and tabmeans carried at said rounded off portion and extending outwardly anddownwardly with respect to said base to form a lip adapted to engage astocking carried by a foot to permit the insertion of said device intosaid stocking so as to facilitate the removal of said stocking from saidfoot.

1. A device for facilitating the putting on and the removal ofstockings, said device comprising an elongated U-shaped slide memberhaving rounded side walls extending upwardly from the base of said slidemember, the front edges of said rounded side walls being inclined withrespect to said base; a handle comprising a pair of parallel rod membersterminating in an integrally formed rounded connecting portion having ashape complimentary to the rear end of said slide member and attached tosaid rear end of said slide member on an exterior surface thereof, saidhandle for grasping by a user whereby a stocking engaged over the frontend of said slide member is placed on the user''s foot by withdrawal ofsaid slide member to pass the foot through the front end of said slidemember said rounded connecting portion being of sufficient thickness toprevent said stocking from passing thereover when said slide member isreinserted into said stocking for the purpose of removing said stockingfrom said foot.
 2. The device defined in claim 1, wherein said frontedges of said rounded side walls are rounded off to merge with saidbase; and tab means carried at said rounded off portion and extendingoutwardly and downwardly with respect to said base to form a lip adaptedto engage a stocking carried by a foot to permit the insertion of saiddevice into said stocking so as to facilitate the removal of saidstocking from said foot.